Collapsible deck chair



Jan. 12, 1965 F. EGGER coLLAPsIBLE DECK CHAIR Filed July 17, 1962 afp" GENT at their leg ends.

United States Patent 3,165,354 COLLAPSIBLE DECK CHAIR Fridolin Egger, deceased, late of Ottenhach, Zurich,

Switzerland, by Alfred Jean Rothenbiihler, legal representative, Landshutstrasse 12, Utzenstorf, Bern,

Switzerland Filed July 17, 1962, Ser. No. 211,946 1 Claim. (Cl. 297-29) This invention relates to a'collapsible deck chair in which the body-supporting surface comprises three folding sections pivoted to each other and is suspended in a two-part folding carrier frame which at the same time forms the arm rests and is pivotally mounted substantially at the center of gravity of said surface, so as to enable the occupant to adjust the inclination of the surface as required within certain limits by pulling on or pushing against the arm rests.

Advantageously, the back rest is linked to an upwardly angled section of the seat in such a way as to be adjustable to at least -two positions in its inclination thereto, so that the center of gravity of the back rest is above the seat and, when the back rest is inclined at a high angle, an uncomfortable sharp angle between seat and back rest, which tends to have a gripping effect on the buttocks, is avoided.

The deck chair according to the invention may also be used as an easy chair after folding the leg rest back onto the seat.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of the object of the invention.

In said drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the deck chair, illustrating `by means of the dash-dotted lines how the body-supporting surface can be pivoted, the back rest adjusted and the leg rest folded onto the seat;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of the chair shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 shows the deck chair partially folded; and

FIG. 4 shows the deck chair completely folded into a bundle.

The deck chair as shown comprises a carrier frame formed by two substantially U-shaped tubular members 1 and 2 which are foldably connected through joints 3 Said members are interconnected on either side at seat height by stays 4, 5 and pins 6, 7. For the purpose of folding 4the body supporting surface, the stays can be collapsed upwardly at the pins 8 which join the two stay sections. The U-shaped member 1 carries the arm rests 9 on its forwardly bent leg ends. The bearing pins 10 for pivoting aframe structure 11, 12, 13 are attached to the stay sections 4 near the joint pins f 8. The limit of movement of the stays 4, 5 in their extended position is determined through lugs a on the stay section 5, these lugs coming -to rest on the bearing -pins with the stays 4, 5 in their extended position. The seat consists of a seat frame 11 pivotally mounted on the bearing pins 10 andfurnished with a canvas 11a. The seat frame is bent upwards at the end behind the bearing pins 10. The ends of the side sections project over the crosspiece 11b and form flat-pressed bearing ends 11e. The back rest 12 includes a substantially U- shaped frame which is joined by means of forked ends to the bearing ends 11e` of the seat frame through pivot ice pins 14. The inclination of the back rest with respect to the seat is adjustable, and the back carries on the outside of its leg ends two catches 15 which selectively canbe brought into engagement with either of two holes 16 in the flat parts '11e to lock the back rest in either of two alternative positions of which the less inclined position is indicated in FIG. 1 by dash-dotted lines. 13 is formed by a substantially U-shaped tubular frame, the legs of which are joined to the sides of the seat frame 11 through pivot pins 17. The seat frame 11 is bent downwards at the end in front of the pivot pins 17, the crosspiece 11d forming the stop for the leg support 13 inthe unfolded position of the vchair (FIG. 1). The swiveling movement of the body-supporting frame structure 11, 12, 13 in the end positions is limited by the straps 18 which are pivotally arranged on the sides of the seat frame 11 through pins 19, the straps 18 being in sliding connection through longitudinal slots 18a with the pins 7 of the front U-shaped carrier frame member 2. On

yswiveling (in the direction of the arrow a), the body- 1 and the leg rest 13 in the other pocket 219k, so that no further means of attachment-is necessary, and the covering can easily be removed for cleaning purposes. The length of the inclined rear portion 11 of the seat frame 11, as measured from the bend 11d to the extremity 11e thereof carrying the pivot pins 14, corresponds to approximately half the length of the seating surface formed by the canvas Ztl in the region of frame 11, as is clearly apparent from FIGS. 1 and 3.

When folding the deck chair, the leg rest 13 is first folded onto the seat 11 in the direction of the arrow b, whereupon the back rest 12 is folded down onto the seat 11 in the direction of the arrow c. The U-shaped member 2 is then folded against the U-shaped member 1 in the direction of arrow D and, finally, as shown in FIG. 3, the seat 11 together with the back rest 12 is folded onto the collapsed carrier frame, the deck chair being thereupon in the folded condition as shown in FIG. 4. The deck chair is erected in the reverse sequence.

What I claim is:

A foldable reclining chair comprising a seat member, a back-rest member and a leg-rest member; first pivot means interconnecting said back-rest'member and said seat member for relative angular displacement about a first horizontal axis, said seat member having a seating surface and being provided with a rear portion inclined rearwardly and upwardly `from said seating surface while including an obtuse angle therewith, said rst pivot means being formed on said rear portion at a distance therealong on the order of half the length of said seating surface; second pivot means hingedly interconnecting said leg-rest member and said seat member for relative angular displacement about a second horizontal axis parallel to said first axis and remote therefrom; a support frame articulated to Isaid seat member and provided with arm rests along opposite lateral edges of said seating surface, saidV arm rests having respective supporting surfaces 1yinga'bevesa'id rst axis in'21'substantillyl horizontal References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lorenz Maf. 26, 1940 Bennett 1111161, k1954 10 Freedman V v l\/a r. 15, V1955 'Reserfem Aug; 9, 1955 Drabert Mar. Y13, 195,6 Hebert Ma/ 13, 1958 Carlson Aug,4 14, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS j France Sept. Y2 8, 1959 

